Cam operated clutch for electric food mixers or the like



llg 8, 1950 R. s. wALLAcH ETAL 2,517,744

CAM wOPERATED CLUTCH FOR ELECTRIC FOOD MIXERS OR THE LIKE Filed Aug.- 29, 194s ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 8, 1950 CAM OPEEATED CLUTCH FOR ELECTRIC FOOD MIXEES ORTHE LIKE Robert S. Wallach, Madison, N. J., and Irving D. Wallach, Port Washington, N. Y., assgnors to Associated Development & Research Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 29, 1946, Serial No. V6932780 6 Claims. (CLV 192-93) This invention relates broadly to electric power driven tools having a motor and a flexible shaft to transmit the motor power to a tool aflixed to the end of the shaft. Specifically, the invention relates to a domestic electric appliance of the mixer-beater type and to a novel tool mount and means for adjustably securing said tool mount to afford a wide range of supported positions thereof.

Domestic electric appliancesiof the mixer or beater type are generally characterized by a unitary assembly of a motor (having permanent sockets for tool attachement) and a relatively heavy stand, there usually being no provision for other than a very limited adjustment of the mixers or beaters. In those appliances wherein the motor may be removed from the stand, the

weight of the motor is such as to make the same very tiresome to use.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide apparatus of this type in which the motor may be conveniently hung or otherwise mounted remote from the location of the tool, and wherein the tool support may be held in the hand when, for example, scouring large size pots and pans or stirring or beating foodstuffs while the same are cooking. Pursuant to the present invention, also, the tool mount may be adjustably fixed to a support when it is desired to perform a simple mixing or beating operation or to utilize the apparatus with a grinding wheel attachment for sharpening cutlery, a buffing wheel for polishing silver, or the like. p

It is an object of the invention to provide a domestic electric appliance which affords a greater field of usefulness than the conventional devices.`

It is a further object to provide a tool mount for an -electric appliance which incorporates an improved clutch means whereby control over the operation of the tool may be had not only by the motor switch but also at the tool mount itself.

A still further object is that of furnishing a toolmount for a power driven tool, said mount incorporating a clutch which is easily operable by finger pressure and which will not stall in a dead center position eitherduring clutching or declutching.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool mount which may serve optionally as a convenient handle or as a means whereby the mount may be rigidly but adjustably aiiixed to a standard Or support.

Still another object is that of designing an improved support for detachably securing" the i 2 handle portion of a tool mount of a power driven tool.

With these and other object in mind reference is had to the attached sheets of drawings illus,-`

trating a practical embodiment of the invention and in which:

p Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the tool mount and clutch, showing the clutch member in disengaged position; l

Fig. 2 is a plan section, looking in the direction of the `arrows 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation taken along lines 3--3 and in the direction of the arrows as indicated in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a detail of` the clutch lever actuator taken at an intermediate stage of clutch operation. i i

The tool handle and clutch member 40 has a circular opening at one end to receive a mounting member and has a catch lor equivalent 4| for cooperation with indentations, whereupon the handle may be rotated to anyone of four positions with respect to a supporting member.` i

As appears in Fig. 2 the tool handle includes a substantially cylindrical clutchbarrel portion 42 extending from which is the handle proper 43. The said handle is hollow to form a housing for the clutch actuator members and an open side of the handle may a removable cover plate x44 suitably secured to permit access to the interior.

The clutch is illustratively of the jaw type and as such has a lower jaw member 45 suitably mountedon anti-friction bearings 45 and having a chuck or socket 41 to which the shaft of a tool may be attached. Any conventional means may be employed to removably hold the tool shaft within the socket 41.

The drive shaft 5l is socketed to receivea sheathed, exible driving shaft, from a motor. A threaded cap 53 accommodates a clamping nut or the like by means of which the end ofthe drive shaft may be secured.

The movable clutch member has a jaw 55for cooperation with the jaw 45, and extending concentrically with respect to said jaw 55is a sleeve 56 which is slidable on the end of the shaft 5I. Suitably secured to said sleeve is an abutment plate 51 between which and a plate SBthere is confined the coil spring B0. `Suitable antifriction bearings 6l are provided. The lower end of the shaft 5l has diametrically opposite keyways `52 within which slidably fit the pin ends of screwsA 53, which extend through the jaw member 55.. Freely rotatable on the sleeve 56 and held between the gaw 55 and the plate 51 is a clutch collar 54 having` 3 diametrically opposed pins 65 for engagement by the forked end 66 of the clutch lever 61. It will be apparent that the clutch jaw 55 and plates 51, 58 will continually rotate with the driving shaft 5l; the clutch collar, of course, being held stationary by the clutch lever.

The clutch lever 61 is pivoted on the stud 68. Said clutch lever is rotated by the engagement of a shoulder 'I8 thereof with a four position cam Il in which the opposed high faces and the opposed low faces, are respectively equal. Said cam is carried upon and keyed to a shaft 12 fixed to which is a disc-like cam actuator 73. The shaft 'I2 is mounted for rotation in suitable bearings provided in the respective side walls of the handle, there being a suitable spacing collar 13 if desired. Pivotally mounted within the handle and biased in direction counterclockwise of Fig. l by the coil spring 14 is the actuating lever 'I5 in the ngerpiece 76 of which extends through a suitable opening in the handle. Associated with the fingerpiece 15, as being disposed within a suitable socket formed therein, is a pivoted driver TI the actuating end of which has two legs i8, 80. The intersection of said legs is arcuate so that the legs straddle the respective drive and indexing pins 8|. There are four of such pins, equiangularly spaced about and projecting from the actuator 48, as indicated in Fig. 1. With afpin in position between legs 18, 80, either a high or a low face of the cam will be in proper position with respect to the clutch lever to establish a desired operating position thereof. lt will be noted that with the actuator I3 in any one of its four operating positions the driver 'l'l is held in such position with respect to a pin 8l by the action of a coil spring 82 that the leg 80 is substantially vertical and the contracting surface of leg 'I8 is slightly sloping.

A spring pressed detent has a nose 83 which engages the quadrantally spaced notches in the actuator 13,'said notches being relatively equidistant between two adjacent pins 8|. It is apparent from Fig. 1 that the detent prevents a clockwise rotation of the actuator.

Finger pressure on the member 'I6 will cause the'leg 18 of drive Tl to cam against the associated pin 8l and to rotate the actuator 13 counterclockwise of Fig. 1, whereupon the clutch lever will drop to the low face of cam 1l. The spring 60 Will of course be effective to drive the lever into such position, wherein therespective jaw members of the clutch engage and the tool shaft socket 41 will be driven from the shaft 5 l. A succeeding quarter rotation of actuator 'I3 will cause the next succeeding high face of the cam to lift with shoulder `for disengagement of the clutch.

Positive detent means are provided to hold the actuator 13 in its respective positions of rotation. Mounted pivotally on the shaft 68, for independent movement with respect to the lever 81, is an indexingV lever 85 so arranged as to overlie the respective drive pins 8l of actuator 13. A strong coil spring 86 urges the lever 85 clockwise of Fig. l. into engagement with a pair of drive pins; During the partial stage of rotation of the actuator, as indicated in Fig. 4, the movement of a drive pin will rotate the lever 85 clockwise against the torsion of its spring. At the highest position of movement of the lever, which position will occur after approximately one-eighth rotation of the actuator the transition'point between thehigh and low faces of the cam will be slightly past dead center; a slighty additional rotation of the actuator will bring the drive pin 8| then'in engagement with the indexing lever 85 beyond 4 dead center position. The combined action of the spring 86 and the clutch spring 60 will be sumcient to complete the rotation of actuator 13 whereupon the clutch lever will snap smartly into clutch engaging position. In such position the surface of thelever is in contact with a pair of drive pins 8l thereby indexing the position of clutch lever 61 and restraining any actuator movement in either clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

Pursuant to the clutch operating mechanism above described, the possibility of clutch stalling on dead center is minimized inasmuch as there is a very sharp line of demarcation between the initial and final stages of throw of the cam 1I. If pressure on the iingerpiece 'i8 were released before the full travel required to complete clutch actuation, the cam actuator 'I3 will reverse its direction of rotation inasmuch as the indexing lever 85 constantly exerts a counterclockwise rotation of the actuator 'I3 until a precise dead center point of a pin 8l is reached relative thereto, and at this deadcenter position, the edge of the cam H has gone beyond dead center with respect to the shoulder 18, as'appears in Fig. 4. If neither the indexing lever 85 nor the cam 'il has gone beyond dead center, the spring 86 will return the actuator i3 to original position, such return being-permitted vby the relative freedom of movement of the drive "H and the relative angularity of the legs 1B, 88 thereof. It is diiiicult if not impossible, therefore, to accidentally clutch or declutchthe mechanism by only a partialoperation of the lingerpiece 16, and stalling on dead center is practically eliminated.

Although the invention has been described by making a fully detailed referenceto the certain presently preferred embodiments, such detail of description is to be understood in an instructive rather than a limiting sense, many changes being possible within they scope of the claims hereto appended.

We claim:

1. A tool 'mount fora power driven tool, cornprising a' hollow body having a handle portion and a clutch housing Z a jaw clutch within said clutch housing, having a movable' jaw springpressed into engagement with a cooperating jaw; a clutch-shift klever pivoted within thehandle portion and engageable with said movable jaw; a rotatable cam mounted within said handle in engagement with said lever, said cam having diametrically opposed high and low portions; a disc xed on the cam shaft for rotation therewith; equiangularly spaced pins projecting from a face of said disc; a driver engageable with each of said pins in turn to rotate said disc and said cam shaft; and a lever disposed within said handle and operatively associated with said driver to effect rotation of said cam shaft upon actuation of-saidlever, whereby the clutch shift lever assumes a positionv dependent upon the engagement of the high or low portions` of the cam therewith; and a fingerpiece operable eX- ternally ofsai'd handle. to irotate the leverl associated with said driver. l

2. A tool mount for a power driven tool, comprising a hollowV body having a handle portion and a clutch housing; a clutch in said housing, said clutch having a pair of disc-like members respectively on driving and driven shafts and movable axially relative to .each other; spring means urging said clutch members into power transmitting engagement; a lever pivotally secured within said handle portion and secured to one of said clutch elements to move the same out of `engagement with the other element; a cam shaft extending transversely across said body adjacent said lever, said shaft having fixed for rotation thereon a cam having two equal high portions at diametrically opposite locations and two equal low portions at diametrically opposite locations, the said high and low portions following each other at ninety degree intervals, said respective cam positions having sharp lines of demarcation therebetween; a cam follower on said lever riding on said cam, whereby when a high portion of said cam engages with said follower said lever raises to declutching position and when a low portion of said cam engages said follower the lever drops to clutching position; an actuator disc secured to said cam shaft for rotation therewith; pins extending axially from said disc on a circle concentric with said shaft and of larger radius than the maximum radius of said cam, said pins being spaced at ninety degree intervals thereabout; and a spring pressed indexing lever pivoted within said body and riding upon said pins, said indexing lever being so positioned that at each ninety degree rotation of said cam said lever is in contact with a pair of pins, the demarcation point between high and low cam positions being such that when the cam is on dead center between a high and low face, a pin is not at dead center with respect to said indexing lever.

3. A tool mount according to claim 2, in which said handle has a reciprocable, pivoted drive means engageable with said pins successively to rotate said actuator disc and lever means operable externally of said handle to reciprocate said drive means to urge said disc into rotation through an angle of ninety degrees to rotate said cam accordingly.

4. A clutch, including a clutch barrel within which is a xed member and a member movable into or out of clutching relationship therewith; a handle extending from said barrel; a lever engaging with said movable clutch member to throw the same to one of its two operating positions, said lever being pivotally mounted within said handle; a cam shaft rotatably mounted within said handle and extending transversely of said lever; a cam fixed for rotation on said shaft and engageable with said clutch lever to rotate the same, said cam having a high face to throw the lever to declutching position and a low face at` which the lever is in clutching position; a cam actuator keyed to said cam shaft and comprising a circular disc; a plurality of pins extending from a face of said actuator and being equi-radial with respect to the cam shaft and quadrantally on the circle of rotation thereof; an actuating lever pivotally secured within said handle and having driver means engageable with each said pin in turn to rotate the cam actuator through a ninety degree arc to bring said high or said low cam face into operative position against said clutch lever; a cam actuator index lever pivotally mounted within said handle and overlying said pins, said index lever engaging two of said pins in either cam position to secure said actuator against accidental rotation; and spring means strongly biasing said index lever in the direction of said pins.

5. A clutch, including a fixed member and a member movable into or out of clutch relationship therewith; a pivotally secured lever engageable with said movable clutch member to throw the same to one of its two operating positions; a cam rotatably mounted for engagement with said lever, said cam having a high face and a low face whereupon said lever may be rotated respectively into clutch engaging or clutch disengaging position; a disc-like cam actuator keyed to the cam shaft, said actuator having a plurality or equidistantly spaced drive and indexing pins extending axially from a face thereof; driver means engageable successively with each said pin to rotate said actuator suiiiciently to move said cam from high-face to low-face position; handle means for operating said driver means; an indexing lever pivotally mounted for engagement with a pair of said pins to secure said actuator against further rotation when said cam is in either of its desired operating positions; 4and spring means biasing said indexing lever strongly in the direction of said pins.

6. In combination with a clutch having a fixed and a movable jaw member, a lever engaging said movable member, pivot means for pivotally mounting said lever, a rotatable cam having a high and a low operating face for engagement with said lever to rotate the same about its pivot, a clutch actuator mounted for rotation with said cam, a plurality of indexing pins secured to said actuator and extending from a side wall thereof, a spring-pressed index lever engageable with an adjacent pair of said indexing pins with the cam member in either high or low face position, and means for engaging said indexing pins successively to rotate the cam actuator over a predetermined arc of rotation.

ROBERT S. WALLACH. IRVING D. WALLACH.v

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 548,988 Hood et al. Oct.. 29, 1895 748,018 Rowe Dec. 29, 1903 1,154,035 Locke Sept.. 21, 1915 1,774,509 Gould Sept. 2, 1930 1,913,046 Callon June 6, 1933 2,097,729 Mall Nov. 2, 1937 2,113,916 Goldblatt et al Apr.. 12, 1938 2,368,897 Strauss et a1. Feb. 6, 1945 2,382,766 Zahodiakin Aug. 14, 1945 2,388,474 Ellis Nov. 6, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 661,205 Germany June 13, 1938 

